Tyler James Williams on Emmys Red Carpet Recalled Being 'a Very Serious Child' at 4 Years Old on Set

Tyler James Williams remembered himself as "a very serious" child who "felt very out of control" with his life as he arrived at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Rocking a purple suit designed by Thrash Bespoke, Williams, 29, reminded PEOPLE and EW's Red Carpet Live preshow co-hosts Janine Rubenstein and Jeremy Parsons that he first attended the annual awards show at the age of 13 when he starred in the sitcom Everybody Hates Chris.

Williams quipped that he "had no idea what was going on" when he first attended the Emmys and admitted that he longed for more control over his life when asked what advice he would give a younger version of himself.

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"There will come a time where you will be more in control," he told PEOPLE. "I felt very out of control at that time."

"I was a kid, there were a lot of people I didn't know, [people] who were grown, big room, and I didn't know If I'd ever feel like I'd have a grasp on it, and… yeah. One day it will," he added.

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The Abbott Elementary actor, who is nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, shared that he felt he and other cast members on the Quinta Brunson-created series realized the show would be a hit as soon as they filmed its pilot.

ABC/Ser Baffo

"I Iooked at Sheryl [Lee Ralph] and I was like 'this feels different,' and she was like 'it definitely does,' and I think we knew we had to strap in for something," Williams told PEOPLE. "We didn't know what the ride was going to be or how wild it would be, but we knew we had to strap in."

"I think since then we've done a really good job of taking care of of one another, checking in and riding this wave together," Williams added of how the show's cast has managed its wild success.

Though Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, 32-year-old Brunson and Janelle James are each nominated for their performances as elementary school teachers, the actor described himself as a "very serious child" when asked to describe how he behaved as a student.

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"At 4 years old, I was like 'this is what I'm here to do, y'all, let's get started,' " Williams joked. "I was a very serious kid. I was like, great grades, teacher's pet essentially."

"I look at the kids now and I'm like, 'That looks like fun. I could've done this,' because the stakes weren't as high as I thought they were. I could have just had a good time," he added.

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The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards are being broadcast live on NBC from the Microsoft Theater in ‎Los Angeles.